Mute for musical instruments



May 28, 1929. MAGQSY 1,714,513

MUTE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Feb. 4. 1927 Patented May 28, 1929.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH MAGOSY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MUTE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed February 4, 1927. Serial No. 165,773.

The subject of this invention is an improved mount for mutes.

As is well known, when say a wind instru- 1 mounted inthe horn to provide a tone column length in the horn of annular cross-section, or of interrupted annular cross-section at the location of the mounting means for securely but impermanently holding the mute in place in the horn. Such mounting means has commonly involved a plurality of protuberances spaced around the mute, and these protuberanceshave commonly been frictional pads of a suitable material. Cork has been the material largely adopted. Heretofore, such protuberances have been merely adhesively or otherwise insecurely carried by the mute, so that often on taking the mute from its case to mount the same in the horn,

these protuberances have been found to be detached from the mute or not at all securely mounted thereon, or in inserting the mute, to wedge the same in place by slightly compressive action on the protuberances, or in pulling the mute free of its frictional or wedge engagement in the horn, to remove the mute, the protuberances have been displaced or wrenched loose from the mute.

'The particular object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved mounting means for such protuberances, whatever their material, whether cork or otherwise.

The invention will be fully understood, and other objects and advantages thereof become apparent, from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred form of the invention, and also certain variations of such form. It is to be understood, of course, that said form is merely one of the many possible embodiments of the invention, and consequently, the illustrated variations are merely variations of the one form selected for illustration in the drawing; the scope of protection contemplated, of course, being indicated solely by the appending claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows said form in side elevation,

in full lines, a horn element being indicated in dot and dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section, taken say on a line corresponding to the linc.22 of Fig. 1, showing one possible yariation;

Fig. 4c is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing another possible variation;

Fig. 5 shows a partof the mute in side elevation, and oneof the aforesaid protuberance's, hereinafter called the pads, being inserted in the type of mount illustrated gen orally in all the views; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, partially in section and partially in perspective, showing still'anothcr variation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

A conventional mute is indicated at 7, in Fig. 1, as impermanently but securely wedged in place in a horn indicated at 8. The positioning and wedging instrumentalities are a plurality of pads 9, which may well be of cork. As is well known, cork is a material having good frictional qualities, and is also rather readily compressible, and, further, is elastically compressible, and at the same time rather easily deformable.

Three of such pads 9 may conveniently be employed, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. As is common practice, the mute here shown is a hollow body having comparatively thin walls of a suitably stiff material, say thin metal. At the intended location'of each pad 9, th s wall material of the mute, is partially cut away and struck up to form a plurality of tongues or equivalents, between each which set of tongu s each pad 9 is adapted to be posioned and crimped or wedged in place, or otherwise more securely held than by the familiar adhesive application, on the mute.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in the mute structure shown in Fig. 5, five of these tongues are provided at each pad location. lVhat may be termed the forward side pair of tongues are indicated at 10, and what may be termed the rear side pair of tongues are indicated at 11, while an end tongue is indicated at 12 in Figs. 1 and 2. In the cases of the variations of Figs. 3, t and 6, similar pairs of side tongues may be provided, althoughonly one of such marked 12.

pairs is shown in each of these views; while also, an end tongue, like that shown at 12, may be provided, at the inner or outer end, or

' at both ends of the pad.

In the case of Figs. 1 and 2, and in the case of Fig. 4, the side tongues, in the last-men tioned view marked 11 are slightly inwardly bent; while in Figs. 3 and 5, they are substantially parallel. In Fig. 5 the side tongues are marked 11'; the end tongue shown being In these Variations, as well also as, in the variation of Fig. 6,'wheroin the side ton ues which are here marked ll the ads 9 maybe so laterally dimensioned, as to have a squeeze-fit between 1 the appointed sldetongues, or/and may have side grooves cut therein where-the side-tongues are inwardly bent, as indicated most clearly at 9* n Fig. 6.

A pad 9 may be very conveniently squeezed into-place between its mounting means where suchmcans are any of thoseshown inthe drawing,as indicated by the arrow shown 1n Flg. 5. L. V V p v Figs. 3, 4: and 6 illustrate rurther VEllltltions. Here there is provided, so as to be finally interposed between the base of a pad, and the underlying mute-wall portion, a fairly rigid strip, of suitable material, say thin hard rubber, metal, or the like, as indicated at 14. Such strip may be disconnected from pad as well as mute, or suitably secured to ither. When'carried by the pad, the strip.

14, particularly when the side tongues are in wardly bent, aids in the security or" the attachrnent'of the pad to the mute, by holding the base-portion of the pad relatively unyielding to lateral deformation, as compared to the upper, portions'ot the pad. 40

By using a single end tongue, a pad maybe slidingly forced'into place as shown in Fig. 5; and by positioning such end tongue at that end of a pad location nearer the larger end of the mute, as atl2 or 12, no slippage tendency can 'everbe set up as between pad, and side tongues ll-or equivalents, on wedge-mounting the mute in a horn. These wedge-mounting operations have heretofore been the principal causes ofpad loosening and displacement; as

there is no wedging action, but on the contrary a wedge rellevlng action, in removing the mute from a horn.

Inasmuch as many changes could bemade in the above constructions, and many apparently widely diiierent embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof,;it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limittie combination with a pad, ofmeans for wedge-mounting the pad imperma'nently in place, on the mute, said wedgingineans including a plurality of tongues struck up from a wallelement of the mute;

2. ,Ina mute for wind musical instruments,

in combination, a plurality of pads, and

means formounting the pads on the mute including exterior PIQJGCUOIlS mounted directly on the wall of the mute, such projections ifo'rining pockets at each desired pad location. 3. In a mute for wind musical instruments, in combination, a plurality of pads, and means for mounting the pads on the mute including exterior project-ions mounted directly on the wall of the mute, such projections forming pockets at each desired pad location,

said pads being of a material which is elastically cleformable, whereby a pad may be wedgingly mountedin a pocket. I r

4; In a mute for wind musical instruments the combination with a plurality of pads, of

means for wedge-mounting the pad impel manently in place on the 1nute, said wedging means including a plurality of tongues struck up from a wall portion of the mute.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

RUDOLPH MAGOS Y. 

